Benjamin Kelly

The good fight is over, and now onward…

After a full and long life our father passed peacefully on March 12 at the Perley Rideau Veteran's Health Centre.

Ben is predeceased by Kathleen (nee O'Neill), his beloved wife of 59 years, was a loving father to Brian, Maureen and Neil. Proud grandfather to Dustin, Brenna, Bridgette, Michael and Ben. Loving father-in-law to Michael Bazuk, Heather Kelly (nee Hoover), and Alida Kelly (nee Kartaloglou).

Ben is survived by his sister Patricia Moulton and brother-in-law Roy Moulton. Ben was predeceased by his parents Benjamin and Bridget (nee Canny), his brother Johnnie and sister-in-law Greta (nee Anderson) and as well as his sister Margaret Law and brother-in-law Thomas Law.

Ben was born at home on September 7, 1921 in the Montreal suburb of Verdun. By all accounts he was born with an inquisitive mind combined with an irrepressibly optimistic nature, quite truly a "glass is always half full" disposition. When he wasn't at school, playing hockey, boxing, playing lacrosse, serving mass as an altar boy or swimming he'd be down at the local cinema immersed in the news reels and catching the latest movie of his film hero John Garfield. In 1934 Ben's parents, who were both born in Scotland, moved the family back to their hometown of Dundee.

Moving to Scotland certainly presented some cultural challenges to Ben, a fiercely proud Canadian who longed to return to his country of birth. True to his character the positive nature of Ben just could not be held back as he worked hard to complete his schooling and started into his working life. As good fortune would have it the very landscape of the Scottish sports scene was changing in the 1930's as ice hockey started to take root in Scotland. Ben found himself teaming up with many of the other Canadian ex-pats who found themselves in Scotland playing for the newly formed Dundee Tigers hockey club. As the 1930's progressed the dark clouds of World War 2 gathered over Europe. Great Britain formally declared war in 1939 and with that Ben volunteered without hesitation and enlisted in the Royal Air Force.

Ben spent the majority of his active service with No. 220 Squadron, Coastal Command. He was stationed at bases throughout England, Scotland and Wales and as well bases overseas in the Azores and Gibraltar. Toward the very end of the war an opportunity arose for Ben to transfer to the Royal Canadian Air Force that allowed him to follow his dream to return to live in Canada. With the end of the war Ben was now back living in his native Montreal and like many of the veterans they were determined to find careers and settle into civilian life. Our mother and father were married at Holy Cross church in Montreal on June 4, 1949.

Soon after Ben joined Crane Supply and pursued a sales position that allowed him to work throughout South Eastern Ontario, Montreal and finally retiring in Toronto after a highly successful career.

The memories of our father's time with us will be rich and many. Our parents took every opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with Dad making time to explore the natural beauty that surrounded us. As children, the seemingly endless cycle of the seasons were filled with trips to the beach; fall fairs and walks in the forests; hockey, skating, and tobogganing throughout the winter; welcoming the spring by watching the walleye spawn on the Napanee River; and then finally back to the beaches in summer to have it all start anew. As teens we experienced Canada's Centennial year, Expo 67 and all the other dramatic events of Canada and the world of the later 60's and the 70's while living in Montreal.

Ben was a dedicated life long learner. He was passionate about education and was an avid reader of Canadian history, technology, novels and current events. He was a man who would always encourage intelligent dialogue to resolve issues with the use of force being the very last of solutions. He was a wonderful dancer. He was also a great raconteur who possessed a brilliant sense of humour, completely at ease at tailoring a joke or humourous story to fit any social setting or age range.

Our parents truly loved each other. Whether it was the many trips they took together, taking in the latest movies, visiting a museum, visiting their grandchildren or just reading and sharing their thoughts, they enjoyed a wonderful and lasting partnership.

Ben will be remembered not only as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and bother-in-law but also as a cherished uncle, a highly respected friend and co-worker — the kind of person who you would always want in your corner through good times and bad.

Ben was a firm believer of the great good that came from keeping calm and positive. True to his Celtic roots, he had mastered numerous old sayings as well as family words of wisdom used to pass along blessings or to simply bring good cheer or calm to anyone in need. "Lang may yer lum reek" (May you live long and well) as the old Scottish blessing goes was one of his favourites. Another favourite were the words handed down to him from his mother to help bring calm. When we were children and were sad, upset or frightened we would huddle around our parents and Dad would say, "I know you're all afraid, but we are all together and we are all going to be safe. So why don't we do what your Grandma Kelly would do and close our eyes and think of nothing but a field of roses". Sure enough we would all start feeling that much better.

As we mourn the passing of our father the weight of our loss will be tugging heavy on our hearts for some time to come. At the same time though we just can't help but feeling that the sheer force of Dad's positive spirit is in some way trying to comfort us through these trying times, encouraging us to remember the good times we all shared, compelling us to experience the great beauty of the world around us and reminding us to be good and make the best of the gift of life that is in front of us. One of Dad's old quips, which he used to help alleviate people's anxieties about death, was the old joke that goes, "death can't be all that bad, after all no one ever came back to complain". But if need be, when that sadness and longing gets just a little too heavy for our hearts, we can always close our eyes and remember his voice and those old words of solace "don't be afraid, just think of a field of roses".

"May the road rise up to meet you…"